Dividend Access Facility

ABB Ltd
6 February 2001


ABB Media Relations                       ABB Investor Relations
Thomas Schmidt                            Switzerland: [phone]
Tel: [phone]                       Sweden: [phone]
Fax: [phone]                       USA: [phone]
[e-mail]                [e-mail]

ABB's Dividend Access Facility for 2001

ABB Ltd's Dividend Access Facility for Shareholders tax resident in Sweden, an
integral part of the ABB single-class share structure implemented during 1999,
is available for the dividend payment in 2001

Zurich, Switzerland, February 6, 2001 - The Dividend Access Facility (DAF)
provides to shareholders tax resident in Sweden and holding VPC registered ABB
Ltd shares, the possibility to receive dividends being subject to taxation in
Sweden without deduction of Swiss withholding tax.

Shareholders participating in the DAF will temporarily be registered as
shareholders without rights to ABB Ltd dividends. Those shareholders will
instead receive their dividends from ABB Ltd's Swedish subsidiary ABB
Participation AB. The participating shareholders will for each ABB Ltd share
receive one ABB Ltd share excluding dividend rights (ABB Ltd U) and one dividend
right separated from the share (SR). After payment of dividends, ordinary ABB
Ltd shares will be re-registered on the shareholders' VP-accounts.

The ABB Ltd U share will be traded on the OM Stockholm Exchange during the
period March 19, 2001 to March 26, 2001. Trading in dividend rights, SR, will
not be possible.

The DAF dividend payment, corresponding to the ABB Ltd dividend payment, will
be administered by VPC and paid in SEK after conversion from CHF, and without
deduction of the 35 percent Swiss withholding tax. The dividend will be taxed
according to Swedish tax legislation; i.e. a preliminary tax of 30 percent will
be withheld for private individuals.

More information will be available on February 21, 2001 to shareholders whose
shares are registered with VPC. Shareholders who participated in the DAF 2000
will automatically be registered for the DAF 2001 and onwards.


      Time schedule for dividends

      Dividend Access Facility (DAF) for VPC registered shareholders

      February 21    The DAF application period commences.

      March 12       The DAF application period ends. Last day of trading in ABB
                     Ltd shares including rights to DAF participation.

      March 13-16    Shareholders that have applied for DAF participation should
                     not divest their ABB Ltd shares during the period March 13-
                     16, 2001 due to the ongoing de-registration of ABB Ltd     
                     shares and registration of ABB Ltd U shares and SR1.

      March 19-      Dividend rights, SR, registered on share holders' 
                     VP-accounts.
       April 2       (trading in SR prohibited).

       March 19-29   ABB Ltd U shares registered on shareholders' VP-accounts.
                     Transfer of ABB Ltd U shares between VPC and SIS           
                     prohibited.

       March 19-26   Trading in ABB Ltd U shares on the OM Stockholm Exchange.

       April 2       Dividend payment date.

       April 2       ABB Ltd shares re-registered on shareholders' VP-accounts.

       Dividend for VPC registered shareholders not participating in the DAF
       Also for ABB Ltd shareholders holding VPC registered shares who are
       not participating in the DAF, the dividend payment will be administered
       by VPC and paid in SEK, however with deduction of the 35 per cent Swiss
       withholding tax.

       March 23      Last day of trading in ABB Ltd shares including rights to
                     dividend.
       March 26      First day of trading in ABB Ltd shares excluding rights to
                     dividend.
       March 26-28   Transfer of ABB Ltd shares between VPC and SIS prohibited.
       March 28      Dividend record date.
       April 2       Dividend payment date.

       Dividend for shareholders whose shares are registered in Switzerland

       March 23      Last day of trading in ABB Ltd shares including rights to
                     dividend.
       March 26-28   Transfer of ABB Ltd shares between VPC and SIS prohibited.
       March 26      Dividend payment date.